


Cuddle Sluts

by htebazytook



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Cuddling, Denial, First Time, French, Humor, M/M, Pet Names, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-11
Updated: 2010-02-11
Packaged: 2017-11-06 16:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/420966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/htebazytook/pseuds/htebazytook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the relative importance of chronology.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cuddle Sluts

**Title:** Cuddle Sluts  
 **Author:** [](http://htebazytook.livejournal.com/profile)[**htebazytook**](http://htebazytook.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating:** PG-13  
 **Disclaimer:** <\--  
 **Pairing:** Zach/Chris  
 **Author's Notes:** On the relative importance of chronology.

 

 

"Hey, hot stuff. Mind moving over a bit?"

Chris laughs. "Fine." He does no such thing, instead snuggling closer, breathing against Zach's neck while this leg curls around Zach's leg, cold bare feet, and his hand encircles Zach's wrist where it's angled up so he can card through Chris's hair.

Chris does what can only be described as nuzzling into Zach's chest before sighing and murmuring something about Zach smelling nice before lifting his gaze, uncommonly awake and cognizant and piercing into him.

Zach looks back, realizes that his heart rate isn't slowing for sleep. Instead it's speeding and beating urgently against his chest like it needs desperately to escape. Something needs desperately to escape. Chris smiles and the feeling gets worse.

And that's when it hits him.

*

Yesterday,

"So how long are you gonna be around for, Simon?" Chris asks.

"Until you lot get fed up with me, I suppose. Next round's on you, isn't it, Chris? Good man," Simon says, patting Chris on the shoulder.

Chris begins to protest, tries to get up from his backward lean/sprawl into Zach. Zach slips his arm around him to shut him up and Chris tries not to shiver at the sensation or blush at the look Simon is giving them.

"You two are doing well, then?" Simon asks, eyebrows waggling ridiculously.

Zach laughs. "What do you want, a list of people we're hooking up with? _Separately_ hooking up with," he clarifies.

Simon thinks about it. "Yeah, actually. Let's hear it."

"Fine," Zach says, nudges Chris. "You go first."

"Uh . . ."

"—livia?" Zach guesses. "Is that what you were trying to say?"

"Uh, _yeah_. Sure. Why are we talking about this again?"

Simon rolls his eyes. "Right, right. You 'have sex with women', Chris. I buy it. Of course I do."

"Uggghh fuck you, Simon," Chris says. "Why are we hanging out with you anyway?"

"Because you love me ever so," Simon beams.

Zach laughs, bouncing Chris gently.

"Whatever," Chris says, tries to sleep against Zach but can never totally relax around him anymore.

"So, Zach, what about you? Getting busy?"

Zach laughs again and it's starting to become jarring instead of lulling but Chris refuses to move. Zach speaks against Chris's ear: "Hey, you okay?"

"Mm. I'm good."

*

Last week,

"Morning, sunshine."

"No, fuck you, I'm already awake. Got my coffee and everything," Chris says, breathing hard and staticy into the phone. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. Are you on a treadmill or something?"

"Nope. Just on the lam from you-know-who."

". . . Voldemort?" Zach whispers.

Chris laughs. Zach can hear traffic in the background. "Dude, I thought we agreed that it Wasn't Okay to admit to having read those. I mean, good Lord, it would certainly do a number on your reputation as an unrepentantly snobby wordsmith. Not to mention mine as, well, let's just say Berkeley and leave it at that." He's talking a million miles a minute.

"Ohh. Paps."

"No shit. Anyone ever tell you you're a little slow on the uptake, brown eyes?"

Zach laughs. "Okay, _why_ do you think that looking busy and talking on the phone will get rid of them? You've got to dress up as produce, man. I'm telling you"

" _Or_ , you could just meet me at my place and we could go over the whole coffee maker thing once and for all. What do you say?"

"Woah there. Are you soliciting me for sex or—worse—a _cuddling_ session?"

"Do you want me to finally learn the fine art of coffee brewery or not? Also I'm really tired 'cause I went for a run this morning and I want to take a nap."

Zach heaves an almighty sigh. "Am I nothing more than a piece of meat to you?"

"Hurry up."

*

Over Christmas,

They go to whoever's party but forget to drink or socialize, end up instead in the abandoned foyer with everyone's jackets, talking.

The decorative bench by the front door is definitely not meant for sitting on, but Chris doesn't mind because Zach's head is against his shoulder and Zach's thumb had been moving soothingly back and forth over Chris's hip, and Chris had had the opportunity to thread his fingers through Zach's hair and listen to his voice go low and secretive and somewhere below the level of their conversation.

They never got to do this anymore.

It used to be that whenever Chris answered his phone he knew exactly who it was, knew where he'd be that night, knew he'd to get to fall sleep to Zach's breathing and heat and scent.

. . . How had this even begun? Why had _Zach_ been the only one okay with all this physical affection? And what was so damn appealing about Zach, anyway?

Zach's asleep by now, so Chris turns his head to press a kiss into his hair.

And freezes.

Oh.

Oh shit fuck shit shit _shit_.

*

During the press tour,

Chris doesn't even bother _going_ to his own hotel room anymore, certainly doesn't bother knocking on Zach's door. Isn't at all bothered by the evidence of Zach's hasty nesting around the room. He proceeds to lay his own clothes out on the other bed, too, puts his toothbrush in the bathroom and sets the alarm on Zach's phone since it's already plugged in by the bed. Drifts into sleep all too soon . . .

And then Zach comes clamorously back from the hotel bar with Simon and Anton in tow, Simon looking around in exaggerated awe like they've just landed on the moon and Anton just sort of clinging to Zach and giggling. Chris squints at the clock by the bed, rubs his eyes and gropes around for the weird ass light switch button thing.

The sudden brightness causes the three of them to stop their stumbling and muster a collective, impressively coordinated gasp. Three pairs of hazy eyes attempt to focus on Chris.

"Guys," Chris begins, pretty unfocused himself, "it's kinda late and tomorrow we have to go to—"

Simon erupts into laughter. Anton beams and continues to cling to Zach, hand somewhat latched onto Zach's belt and Zach somewhat bright pink and eyes gleaming. "Hey, doll face," Zach says. "What's two plus two?"

Chris fights a grin, glances rapidly between Zach and Anton. "Oh. Ha. Haha, yeah. It's five." God, they'd probably been as drunk as Zach was now when they'd decided on dorky code phrases in lieu of a good old fashioned sock on the door.

Chris ducks into the bathroom to grab his toothbrush before grabbing one particularly wobbly Simon on his way out and depositing him on the extra bed in Chris's cold, unused room down the hall. Doesn't realize until he closes his eyes for sleep that he's left his phone in Zach's room along with practically everything else.

Chris is probably too tired to remember the thud of a body against a wall or Zach's voice low and seductive, Anton's laugh, is much too tired to have seen Anton's hands at Zach's belt and in his hair while they kissed and knocked over Chris's suitcase

Whatever, Zach will come and wake him up tomorrow.

*

In Paris,

Zach picks up his phone. "Salut?"

"Oh, fuck you. Where are you guys? I think me and John went by it. Why the fuck do all these buildings look the same, anyway?"

Zach sighs, snatches up the map from Zoe. "You want the _big_ red star, not the little one."

Silence.

"Hello? You got it now?"

"Wait. _Wait_. So we were supposed to go _across_ the—?"

"Bridge. Oui."

" _Ohhhhh_ , so _that's_ —"

"Water, babe. It's called water. You know, l'eau, la rivière . . ."

"Shut up.

"D'accord, mon cher."

"Fuck you!"

"Mhmm, mhmm, don't have too much fun out there, Freckles."

"Fuck you and fuck J.J. for getting you into that fucking show! I'm not a fucking woman!"

"Mmkay. À bientôt," Zach says, hangs up.

Zoe takes the map back, gives Zach this weird sidelong look.

"What?"

"'Freckles'? Chris doesn't have freckles."

"Uh, not on his face."

"Oh my God, you guys are ridiculous . . ."

*

When they'd come in for ADR,

Chris had convinced Zach back to his place for drinks and aloneness. Fending off their castmates' interpretations of their relationship got tiring. And he's become accustomed to Zach before sleep. These days, the only real sleep he ever seems to get comes during stolen fractions of hours between makeup and rehearsal and lunch and shooting and shooting and driving home and waking up the next morning to do it all over again.

Filming had been over for awhile now, but Chris still needed Zach for a good night's rest. Accustomed to his look, accustomed to his voice, accustomed to his face. Ha.

Really, though. On set, Chris had gotten used to his shirts, used to avoiding his prosthetic ears. His scent, his voice, the size of his hands and fingers and their tendencies—stroking soothingly here or pulling Chris closer in that particular way he—

"Mm, you always smell nice, Pillow," Chris says when Zach pulls him under the covers. Chris shuffles closer and waits for Zach to rearrange them how he wants, sighs and feels this far off desire to say something else or babble but he's just too instantly exhausted with Zach in such close proximity. "Sometimes I wonder if they harvest Zachs and that's where we get sleeping pills from . . ."

Zach laughs. "Nighty night, baby Pine."

*

The night after the last day of filming,

Simon nudges Zach, and when Zach jumps in surprise it dislodges Chris who's curled vaguely against Zach's side, glares at Simon. "Fucker," Chris mutters before settling against him again.

Simon rolls his eyes. "Is he an insomniac or something? Honestly, I'm beginning to grow concerned for Chris's health—half the time I see him he is mostly asleep and clinging to you like you're his mother. Uh . . . no offense."

Zach laughs. "I think it's actually more of a combination of his short attention span and his body's inability to retain heat."

Simon nods. "Interesting. Very interesting. So I'm guessing he doesn't put out very often. Or— _ohh_ , I see now, this is in fact the result of his really quite excessive putting out."

"He's right here, you know," Chris says irritably.

Zach rubs his shoulder. "Chill out, boo. Simon ain't hatin',"

Chris tries not to laugh but ends up silently convulsing against him instead. Zach smiles.

Simon raises an eyebrow. "Um . . . all right, there, Chris?"

Zach waves it off. "He's fine."

" _Right_ , guys?" Zoe is saying, rounding on the three of them, accusing.

Zach schools his features. "Visionary," he says.

"Grooouuundbreaking," Chris adds.

Simon frowns. "Come again?"

"She's talking about Avatar, Simon," Chris stage whispers, foot winding around Zach's leg to make sure they're securely intertwined before he nods off. Zach's secretly grateful that Zoe's enthusiasm for Avatar (okay, mostly just The Business in general) had helped convince Chris she wasn't worth pursuing.

Simon shakes his head. "Can't say I've heard of it," he says, reaching for his drink.

And that just sets Zoe off on her three pronged spiel outlining Avatar's significance so Zach blocks it out and concerns himself only with the rise and fall of Chris's chest, listens only for half spoken words against his shoulder, moves his thumb back and forth over Chris's hip.

"Oh, come off it," Simon is saying somewhere in the distance, "if it's supposed to be so good then why wasn't I asked to be in it?"

Zoe's wrath impending. Might wake Chris up so Zach reenters the real world and says: "We all love the revolutionary anthropomorphic cat aliens, Zo, we really do, but you've—"

"Oh my God, Zach, just go home and fuck Chris and get it over with! Why do you guys even come out with us anymore? God!"

Zach rolls his eyes. "Ever heard of Platonic love? Brotherly love? Is this ringing any bells?"

"Um, yeah, Zach," Zoe says. "I don't care how you spin it, all that Greek love ideal stuff kind of implies a sexual relationship."

"Yep," Simon says. Well, at least they're getting along.

Zach rolls his eyes again, tugs Chris closer. "Oh, whatever. Leave us alone."

*

On set,

"Yo, dawg," Zach says when he finally picks up his phone.

Chris promptly bursts into laughter.

He can hear Zach's grin in his voice: "Too much?"

"Um, yeah."

"So what's up? Done with your scene already?"

"Nah, just taking a break. Come over to B Unit before John gets back. He'll make fun of me if—"

"You molest me?"

Chris laughs. "You love it, chica."

"Yeah, yeah. How I ended up on cuddling duty for life is beyond me. Oh, hey, I see you now. Hanging up."

*

Before,

"Ugh, move over," Chris says, muffled against Zach's arm.

"Give me a minute, jeez. There. Happy now?"

Chris nods mutely, breathing evening out. Zach knows because he can feel it, rhythmic and relaxing.

"Damn," Zach says softly. "You and John are working your asses off, huh? You're practically asleep."

"Excuse me, but I could've sworn I heard my favorite pillow, like, _talking_ to me. Of course that's impossible, but—"

Zach squeezes him. "Shut up, love muffin. You'll take what you can get, and you'll like it."

Chris laughs. Shifts so he can look at Zach. "So what did you guys do all day? Practice heterosexuality?"

Zach laughs. "It's not exactly a chore with Zoe, I'll admit."

"Aw, fuck you. Wanna switch?"

Zach laughs again. "Hey. Are you really, you know, interested in her?"

Chris shrugs. "I mean, I take what I can get and I do tend to like it."

"Shut up."

"But I'd never cheat on you with the cuddling, honey bun. Pinky swear."

"Heh." Zach sinks down on the bumpy futon in his trailer, aspiring to comfort in vain. Chris notices, gets off of him and rearranges himself into a more horizontal position, drags Zach down on top of him. Zach throws one leg over Chris's and breathes near the hollow of his throat while Chris's hand finds its way to the back of Zach's neck, brushing through the short hairs there and rubbing away tension. "Better?" Chris asks, quiet, on a different level than their conversation.

"Mm. Thanks."

"Fucking futon."

"Yeah."

"Hey, wasn't your thing with Tyler last weekend?"

Zach can't fight the smugness in his voice: "It sure was."

Chris laughs, the vibrations from it transferring through to Zach's chest cavity and echoing there. "Sounds like you guys had fun then, huh?"

" _Mm_ -hmm," Zach says, going for sass but it comes out a little dreamy.

Chris laughs, toys with Zach's hair. "So that's why you're so fucking unfazed by everything lately."

"Basically, yeah. Jealous?"

"Well, I wouldn't have to be if a certain friend of mine would perhaps set me up with me certain spicy Latina friend of his or something—"

"Holy _crap_ you need to get laid. I mean, seriously."

"Why, you don't think she'd—?"

"Uh, not if you were the last idiot on earth, sweet cheeks."

*

Before that,

"Goddammit, Simon, I'm goddamn amazing hugger—just ask Zach. God!"

" _Right_. Sure you are, Chris. Sure you are. Would you care to share your assuredly rugged and manly hugging abilities with the class, then?"

Chris nods furiously, stealing Zach's Heineken from him mid-sip and dragging him out of the booth with him. Zach laughs and sways on his feet but Chris steadies him, arms slipping easily around his waist and body fitting snugly up against his. Zach links his arms around Chris automatically, looks around the table in confusion. "Wait, what's happening, again?"

"Chris was just demonstrating the proper way to hug someone," John says, eyeing them warily. It further confuses Zach but before he can open his mouth again—

"Like I said," Simon says slowly, "that is in no way the proper technique for hugging another man who is not your, well . . ."

"Oh, fuck you, man," Chris says, shoulders tensing. Zach lets his fingers trail up to massage them.

John's eyebrows are climbing up his forehead now. "So, uh . . . did I miss something? When did you guys get together?"

"Mm, that's nice," Chris is telling Zach, leaning into his touch and letting his head rest on his shoulder. "Wait, _what_ —?"

Zach laughs, hands stilling. "What makes you think—?"

"Um," John says, pointing at them for evidence.

Zach laughs again and he and Chris try to be subtle about edging away from each other.

Chris laughs too, in an effort to get everyone else to join in. It doesn't exactly work, what with Simon's mouth hanging open and John's firmly shut. Chris rounds on Karl. "We're just friends! It's that whole male bonding thing—the thing! You know what I'm talking about, asshole! All you Lord of the Rings people! Come on, man, help me out here."

Karl thinks it over, stares at his hands and takes a drink before answering. "Just— _not_ how you hug a man."

" _Right?_ " Simon says, way too excited over his little victory.

Karl mouths _Sorry_ and shrugs.

"Oh, fuck you," Chris grumbles, sitting back down at Zach's urging, shoulders gone all tense again.

*

Way before that,

"Hey, sugar daddy, you want me to come over tonight?"

"What, you can't sleep without being sprawled atop of my person or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," Chris laughs into his phone. "Hey, we should really finish going over all the script changes, though. Are you out getting coffee yet or—?"

"Dude," Zach laughs. "I already read over them this morning."

"What, without your coffee?"

Zach sighs. "Seriously, lover, we are going to sit down and teach you how to use a coffee maker one of these days. I'm not even kidding. I mean, if you want I can come over right now and point out which of your appliances is which. Oh damn, I'll have to remember to pick up some post-it notes on my way over—"

"Um, yeah, okay, but the joke's still on you 'cause coffee always tastes better when it comes at the end of a long day's journey into town and is the fruit of someone else's . . . coffee . . . labor. Yeah, that one fell apart . . ."

"Yeah. But hey, do you really wanna come over? After like 2—"

"Nah, I've still gotta work out and shit. I'll see you at the thing later this week though, right?"

"Yeah. Hey, take care, snookums."

"Later, toots."

*

The first time,

After a long night of script reading that had evolved into script making fun of that had evolved into scripts lying forgotten on the coffee table beneath decaf tea while they tuned in to various mindless late night shows, Chris announces: "I'm not comfortable and you look comfy so I'm going to cuddle with you, now. 'Kay?" And he smushes Zach into the pillow mountain he'd constructed, his head on Zach's shoulder or chest or something and his arm slung lazily around him.

Zach shrugs carefully. "'Kay. Whatever makes you happy, snuggle bunny."

Chris snickers into the soft fabric of Zach's shirt. "Hey, what can I say—I'm a touchy feely kinda guy. Mm, you're warm. But seriously, if I'm pissing you off please feel free to kick me out."

Zach shrugs again. "I don't mind, jeez. Thought we were friends or something." He sounds as sleepy and contented as Chris feels. And when Chris burrows closer Zach shifts his arm out of the way, lets it settle securely around Chris's body. "I could get used to this . . ."

"Mm. It's really nice that you're not emasculating me right now, Zach, 'cause I'm allowed to be physically affectionate with my friends, goddammit. You know?"

"Mm, sure."

"Girls do it! No one gives them funny looks."

"Mm. Hey, move your leg this way—there."

"Yeah, that's more comfortable." Chris laughs a little. "You smell nice."

"You say that like it's some big revelation. What, do I normally _not_ smell nice?"

"Shhhh, be quiet, I'm asleep."

 

 

*

 

 

But right now,

"Okay, I'll come let you in," Chris says into his phone before hanging up, stows it in his back pocket.

He opens his front door and Zach slips inside. "Well hello, _dahling_ , what's—"

Chris presses a finger to his lips. "No. We're done with this."

Zach frowns, goes cross-eyed to stare at Chris's finger moving over his bottom lip. "With . . . ?"

"The pet names. With the 'hey sexy' and the 'what's cooking good lookin'' and the 'darling' and the _French_. Oh, _God_ are we ever done with the French." Chris takes a step closer, frames Zach's face in his hands and watches him start to freak out, watches his syrupy eyes flicker in confusion here to there.

"Don't you want to—"

"We are _done_ with the cuddling."

"But . . . I thought you were tired—"

"Fuck yes I'm tired. I'm tired of _this_ ," Chris says, and closes the distance to kiss him.

*

"So," Zach says later, panting up at the ceiling while Chris curls against him and begins to feel properly relaxed again, "this is better when you're naked."

Chris laughs. "Agreed."

"Goodnight, Chris."

"Goodnight, Zach."

*


End file.
